Folding wire flower-stand



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A. E. WHITEHOUSE.

FOLDING WIRE FLOWER STAND.

No. 412,146. Patented Oct. 1. 1889.

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FOLDING WIRE FLOWER STAND.

No. 412,146. Patented Oct. 1. 1889.

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' A. E. WHITEHOUSE.

FOLDING WIRE FLOWER STAND.

No. 412.146. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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A 'E. WHITEHOUSE.

FOLDING WIRE 'PLOWER STAND.

No. 412,146. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

A. E. WHITEHOUSE.

No. 412,146. Patented 001;. 1,1889.

A. E. WHITEHOUSE.

Patented 001:. 1,

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO E. VVHITEHOUSE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING WIRE FLOWER-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,146, dated October1, 1889.

Application filed February 25, 1889. Serial No. 301,015- (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO E. WHITE- HOUSE, of Boston, in the county ofSufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Folding Wire Flower-Stands, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part hereof.

The object of my invention is a folding wire flower-stand which shallpossess the advantages in lightness and strength of nonfoldingflower-stands now on the market, and which can be easily folded up whendesired to pack away, so as to occupy but little space.

My invention consists in forming the frame with four wire corner-posts,the two rear posts being of greater length than the two front posts, thetwo front posts being connected together at the top and bottom bytransverse wire rods hinged at each end to the posts, the two rear postsbeing connected together in a similar way, each front post beingconnected with its rear post by side rods, the upper side rods beingformed with steps, and a brace extending from one of the rear transverserods to one of the front transverse rods detachably fastened at one end,so that when unfastened the frame may be flattened by pressing twodiagonally-opposite corners toward each other.

My invention also consists in a series of wire steps or trays combinedwith the frame, which can be detached and shut together.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front perspective view of my new standwith steps attached. Fig. 2 is aperspective of the frame, the stepsbeing removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 4 is a topplan View of my new steps or trays spread open when removed from thestand. Fig. 5 is an end elevation showing the steps partially folded.Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the steps completely folded. Fig. '7 is aperspective showing the frame partially folded. Fig. 8 shows the framecompletely folded.

I have shown for illustration a three-step stand, although the number ofsteps may be greater or less, according to the size and capacity ofstand desired. The front post A, its rear post B, and the uppertransverse rod 0, which is bent to form a seat for the steps, are formedof one continuous wire on each side of the frame. The front posts A Aare connected together by the top and bottom transverse rods a a, andthe rear posts B B are connected by the top and bottom transverse rodsb. Each end of these transverse rods a a b b is formed with an eye,within which the post is free to turn, as on a hinge. The front postsare connected to the rear posts at the lower end by side rods 0' c as abrace, but do not necessarily hinge. The front and rear are filled inwith braces d and the sides with braces d, which serve both as anornament and to stiffen the stand. The

I front and rear braces d should have the end that is connected with thepost formed with an eye, within which the posts can turn freely. AV-shaped brace E has its feet hinged to the rear bottom cross-rod b, andat the apex it is detachably fastened to the front bottom cross-rod athe simplest form of fastening being a hook e, which hooks into an eyee, projecting from the cross-rod a. lVhen the brace E is unhooked andraised out of the way and two diagonally-opposite corners are pressedtoward each other, the stand will begin to flatten, as shown in Fig. 7,and finally close, as seen in Fig. 8. The form of brace may be variedsomewhat; but a single-leg brace would hardly prevent skewing. It ispreferable to have ithinged on the rear rather than on the frontcross-rod, as being more convenient in folding, but is not necessary.

The posts are mounted on casters for convenience in moving the stand.The hook (it on the middle of the front top cross-rod a and hook I) onthe rear top cross-rod b are rests to help support the steps. Catches bat the rear corners, or other suitable devices for the purpose, andcatch-hooks g g g at the knees of the side bars 0, hold the steps inplace. Each step has arim of wire, as shown at H J K, respectively, withlongitudinal bars h' j 70 and cross-bars h j 70', respectively, to formthe base of the step or tray. The upper step H also has a raised border7L2.

When the steps are folded, the top step is designed to shut inside thenext lower step, the second step inside hethird, and so on likeanesto'fboxesf" T erefore'eag ggc ouing step or tray must be larger thanthe one before it. For this reason the rim J of the second step is alittle longer and a little Wider than H. The longitudinal bars jandcross-bars j are arranged the same as bars h h in the upper step. Theraised border 3' does not extend around the back side of step J, as theback panel is formed by the linkconnection between the two steps now tobe described. Wire links on are hinged at the upper endby an eye to thefront part of the rim H of the upper step, and at the lower end by aneye to the rear part of the rim J of the second step, and allow theupper step to be laid over and into the second step, as shown in Figs. 5and 6. Of course the distance between the steps, one above the other,and therefore the length of the links m, must be, like the width of theupper tray, less than the width of the tray into which it shuts.

The links m are braced suitably, and with the braces m form a sufficientback panel for the step.

For the same reason as that already described for the difference in sizebetween the first and second steps the rim K of the third step should bea little longer than rim J, and the connecting-links or should be ofright length to shut inside the third tray, the links 71. and braces 71.forming the back panel of this step.

In mounting the steps on the frame the front of the rim H of the upperstep is first inserted under the catch-hooks g, and then by a slightspringing pressure the rear of the rim can be crowded down upon itsseat, so as to rest on the hook b and inside of catches b, fittingsufficiently tight to not slip out. These catches b are preferablysprings; but the necessary spring may be secured in the wire rim. Thefront of rim J is then inserted under hooks g, the upright portion ofthe side bar 0 at the rear of the step serving the same purpose withthis step as did the catches b with the upper step. The lower step K isthen secured in a similar manner, its front rim resting on hook a andunder hooks g When desired to fold up the stand, the steps are easilyremoved, beginning with the upper one, and then folded by nesting eachwithin the next lower one, as already described, and as shown in thedrawings.

lVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of two front wireposts with two rear wire posts of greater length than the front posts,the two front posts being connected together at the top and bottom bytransverse wire rods hinged at each end to the posts, the two rear postsbeing connected in a similar way, each front post being connected withits rear post by side rods, the upper side-rods being formed with stepsand a brace extendingfromone of the rear transverse r d3 9one of thetransverse rods, detachablysfastened a t n that when unfastened the framaybe, flattened by pressing two diagonally-opposite corners toward eachother, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two front wire posts with two rear wire posts ofgreater length than the front posts, each front post connected with itsrear post at the upper end by a wire rod bent to form a series of steps,each front post and its rear post and connecting top rod being formed ofone continuous wire, and each front post being connected with its rearpost near the bottom by a side rod, the two front posts being connectedboth at the top and bottom by transverse rods hinged at both ends to theposts, the rear posts being similarly connected, and a brace extendingfrom the rear bottom transverse rod to the front bottom transverse rod,detachably connected to one of the transverse rods, so that whenunfastened it allows the frame to be flattened by compressing twodiagonally-opposite corners toward each other, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of two front wire posts with two rear wire posts ofgreater length than the two front posts, each front post connected withits rear post at the upper end by a wire rod bent to form a series ofsteps, each front post and its rear post and connecting top rod beingformed of one continuous wire, and each front post being connected withits rear post near the bottom by a side rod, the two front posts beingconnected both at top and bottom by transverse rods hinged at both endsto the posts, the rear post-s being similarly connected, the front andrear being filled in with wire panels hinged to the posts, the sidesbeing also filled in with wire panels, and a brace extending from therear bottom transverse rod to the front bottom transverse rod detachablyconnected to one of the transverse rods, so that when unfastened itallows the frame to be flattened by compressing two diagonally oppositecorners toward each other, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of two or more folding wire trays of graduatedsizes, forming a nest when folded, each of which is formed with a wirerim and suitable wire filling, the front side of the rim of the smallestbeing connected with the rear side of the rim of the next succeeding andlarger tray by wire rods hinged at each end and of suitable length toallow the first tray to shut inside the second tray, the second trayconnected with the third tray in the same manner, if more than two traysbe used, and so on with each succeeding tray, substantially asdescribed.

5. A folding wire flower-stand consisting of a frame composed of twofront wire posts and two rear wire posts of greater length than thefront post-s, each front post being connected with its rear post at theupper end by a wire rod bent to form a series of steps, each front postand its rear post and connecting top rod being formed of one continuouswire, and each front post being connected with its rear post near thebottom by a side rod, the two front posts-being connected both at topand bottom by transverse rods hinged at both ends to the posts, the rearposts being similarly connected, and a'brace extending from the rearbottom transverse rod to the front bottom transverse rod, detachablyconnected to one of the transverse rods, so that whenunfastened itallows the frame to be flattened by compressing two diagonally-oppositecorners toward each other, in combination with a set of folding wiretrays to fit the steps formed by the upper-side rods, the trays beinggraduated in size to form a nest when folded, each of which is formedwith a wire rim and suitable wire filling, the front side of the rim ofthe top tray being connected with the rear side of the rim of the nextsucceeding and larger -tray by wire rods hinged at each end and ofsuitable length to allow the first tray to nest in the second tray, thesecond tray connected with the third still larger tray in the samemanner, if more than two trays be used, and so on with each succeedingtray, the trays seated on the top step and on the bottom step having arest projecting from the transverse rods, the top step having catches atthe rear corners, against which the back of the top tray bears, and eachstep having at its front corner a catch-hook to hold the tray inposition, substantially as de- 0 WVitnesses:

WM. H. WHITE, WM. A. COPELAND.

